Halo 3 the final chapter in the groundbreaking “Halo” trilogy, is set to shatter day-one entertainment sales records when it is released worldwide on Tuesday, September 25, 2007.

In Halo 3, the third installment of the landmark “Halo” trilogy and hugely anticipated sequel to the critically acclaimed Halo 2, people everywhere can take on the role of Master Chief™ and experience Master Chief’s greatest battle as he launches an epic mission to stop the Covenant, destroy the impending Flood threat and ultimately save mankind. In this third chapter of the “Halo” trilogy, Master Chief returns to face his greatest challenge as he readies himself for a final battle that’s destined to seal his place in history.

Halo 3 was created by legendary developer Bungie Studios and exclusive to the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system. Halo 3 will set a new standard for interactive storytelling and social gaming by engaging consumers worldwide in the epic battle of Master Chief to save humankind.

Halo 2 generated a record-setting $125 million (U.S.) in sales within the first 24 hours and changed the way people think about interactive entertainment. Three years later, it remains the most-played game on Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE® online gaming and entertainment network, with nearly 1 billion hours of online gaming logged to date.

Madame Tussauds Las Vegas honored Xbox 360’s Halo by immortalizing Master Chief as the first video game character to be enshrined in the world famous attraction’s 250-year history. The impressively life-sized figure of Halo’s Master Chief was revealed to the world by song writer and bass player Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy at an official unveiling ceremony.

“For me, the launch of Halo 3 will be the entertainment event of the year. It will be as big as or bigger than any of the summer’s movie blockbusters,” said Wentz. “Master Chief is as much of a hero today as characters like Spiderman, Frodo and Luke Skywalker were for previous generations.”

Master Chief stands at an impressive 7’2” tall, with an approximate finished weight of 275 lbs. A total of 10 studio artists worked on the massive figure, dedicating an estimated 892 man-hours for the finalization of the stoic soldier. Total man-hours included 687 hours for sculpting, 168 hours for molding, and 37 hours for painting. Materials included over 1,000 pounds of clay.

“Master Chief is the first computer gaming personality immortalized by Madame Tussauds in our 250 year history - recognizing the ‘celebrity’ of the Halo series that we had to capture”, commented Adrian Jones, General Manager for Madame Tussauds Las Vegas.

Visitors to Madame Tussauds Las Vegas will have the opportunity to see the massive figure up close and personal before the most anticipated game release of 2007 – Halo 3, scheduled for September 25, 2007. Master Chief will be stationed at the attraction’s front entrance area – providing guests with a “disarming” greeting at the door. With its towering presence, this newest attraction at Madame Tussauds Las Vegas is sure to bring out the most devoted fan base – Halo Nation, for a personal look and photo with their iconic hero. As is Madame Tussauds standard operating procedure, guests will be able to interact with the figure for photos and a close-up look at the artistic details that bring this digital game world hero to life.

In addition to getting their picture taken with the legendary Master Chief at Madame Tussauds, Halo 3 fans will have the opportunity to purchase an array of Halo licensed products, at the Madame Tussauds Las Vegas location in addition to other gaming, specialty, and traditional retailers courtesy of Microsoft’s exclusive Halo 3 licensing agent 20th Century Fox Licensing & Merchandising.

Finally Electronic Arts has some of its much-anticipated games available for Mac…

Four titles are available now for order: Battlefield 2142, Need Speed for Carbon, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars (trailers of which are available on Apple’s website) are the “first games ever” published by EA for Mac OS X. The games are now available for order via the Apple Store and at Apple’s retail stores nationwide later this month.

Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 08 and Madden NFL 08 can be pre-ordered now.

EA’s games, however, are not native Mac applications, but instead use the Cider Portability engine, this allows Windows games to be run on Intel Mac. The games may not run at full native speed, and may exhibit other issues, as noted by other Cider gaming conversions.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, licensed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Harry’s fifth year at Hogwarts is shaping up to be his most exciting yet. Fearing that Hogwarts’ venerable Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, is lying about the return of Voldemort in order to undermine his power, Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge appoints a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher to keep watch over Dumbledore and the students. But Professor Dolores Umbridge’s ministry-approved course leaves the young wizards woefully unprepared, so Hermione, Ron and Harry form “Dumbledore’s Army” with the goal of preparing themselves and other courageous young wizards for the extraordinary battle that looms against Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

Need for Speed Carbon

What starts in the city is settled in the canyons as Need for Speed Carbon immerses you in the world’s most dangerous and adrenaline-filled form of street racing. You and your crew must race in an all-out war for the city, risking everything to take over your rivals’ neighborhoods one block at a time. As the police turn up the heat, the battle ultimately shifts to Carbon Canyon, where territories and reputations can be lost on every perilous curve.

Battlefield 2142

Earth, 2142. As a new ice age depletes the planet’s resources, two massive multinational coalitions wage a brutal war for the only cause that matters—survival. Armed with a devastating arsenal of futuristic weaponry and gear, including active camouflage, EMP grenades, and sentry guns, plus Battle Walkers and vast airborne bases called Titans, you must coordinate the efforts of your teammates to win the war for Earth’s last fragile pieces of livable land. With extensive improvements to the groundbreaking Battlefield 2(TM) ranking and upgrade system and the new Titan gameplay mode, Battlefield 2142 brings the franchise’s award-winning online warfare into a harsh and desperate future.

Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars

The year is 2047. A massive nuclear fireball explodes high in the night sky, marking the dramatic beginning of the Third Tiberium War and the long-awaited return of the most groundbreaking Real-Time Strategy franchise of all time. Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars unveils the future of RTS gaming by bringing you back to where it all began: the Tiberium Universe. With the corrupt substance Tiberium blanketing most of the Earth, the infamous Kane is back to lead his Brotherhood of Nod in a massive global assault on the Global Defense Initiative (GDI) and the few remaining livable Blue Zones left on the planet. Only you can stop him. Featuring state-of-the-art next-generation graphics, an epic story, and truly innovative features such as the ability to transform online battles into a spectator sport, Command & Conquer is about to reinvent RTS gaming … again. Welcome back, Commander.

In addition to the games, other EA titles available for Mac include The Sims 2, The Sims 2 Open for Business, The Sims 2 Pets, The Sims 2 Nightlife, The Sims 2 University, The Sims 2 Family Fun Stuff, The Sims 2 Seasons, and The Sims 2 Life Stories.

This just in… according to HitsDailyDouble.com, Kanye West outsold 50 Cent this week by more than 270,000 albums. Graduation scanned 930,251 copies while Curtis  scanned a mere (by comparison) 659,682. The count is not final (Hits Daily Double is usually a little off), but I think we can all agree Kanye wins.

As for Curtis, he’s claiming that West’s label Def Jam Records rigged the sales charts. Nielsen SoundScan has reported that their tracking systems would have caught such foul play, thus refuting 50’s claims.

Just give up, Curtis. Drop the solo career and stick to energy drinks!

This image just leaked of a 50 Cent promotional van selling copies of the rapper’s new album, Curtis. Since Tuesday, Kanye West’s Graduation has lead the competition, outnumbering 50’s sales by more than 100k. Some stores are even reporting 2:1 Kanye-to-50 album sales.

Could 50 Cent be taking matter into his own hands? I wouldn’t be surprised if he bought 300,000 copies of Curtis just to earn the right to put out another solo album.

Guys carry a LOT of stuff around with them on a daily basis—pens, computers, books, iPods, iPhones, BlackBerries, notepads, cigarettes, condoms, mints…you get my point. Every guy on the go is faced with the dilemma of where to put all the stuff he hauls around. In pants pockets? This works—as long as you’re wearing cargo pants, which are fine if you can wear them, but often look bulky when pockets are full. How about in jacket pockets? Fine again, but this style also looks bulky when eight million things are stuffed in each opening. So what is the modern man to do? Continue wearing unflattering, bulky clothing? We think not.

Instead, invest in…gasp…shock…A MAN BAG. That’s right, a bag, a murse, whatever you want to call it. Why, you ask? For the stylish city dweller, having everything but the kitchen sink on hand is essential. And what better way to carry everything than in a well-made, fashionable bag? So what if bags are conventionally women’s territory? Man bags are more sophisticated and grown up than backpacks, which are often associated with tourists. And fannypacks…let’s not even go there.

Why you might want to: Bags are no longer just a female accessory, and many labels offer masculine versions free of the elaborate decoration of a women’s bag, and options abound to suit each style. For the logo lover, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Dior Homme all make bags covered in the brand’s signature print, in both messenger and tote styles. Fearless logo devotees have been seen carrying monogrammed Goyard bags, including the women’s St. Louis tote. For gentlemen who prefer more subtle styles, Bottega Veneta makes leather messengers and totes in its renowned woven structure, in addition to sturdy canvas bags. For the true fashionista, Balenciaga’s Men’s Day and Weekender bags are hugely popular for among the fashion elite. YSL makes both briefcase and weekend bag versions of its women’s Muse bag, in addition to carryalls and zippered totes. If exclusivity and lack of a logo are two stipulations for you, then Valextra—which makes luxurious leather bags without a logo in sight—and T.Anthony, famous for its canvas bags—are perfect for you.

Why you might not want to: Maybe you lack the confidence to carry a bag? There aren’t many reasons why you can’t or wouldn’t carry a bag—unless its pink, sparkly, or obviously for women, go for it. If Snoop Dogg can do it, so can you.

I’m really feeling this new single by The-Dream. It has Atlanta written all over it, and Fabolous definitely adds to its crossover appeal. The-Dream’s debut album, Love Hate, hits stores October 16. Oh yeah, and did you know he wrote Rihanna’s “Umbrella” in under 12 minutes? We’ve got a genius on our hands…

Apple revealed a serious iPod upgrade Wednesday morning, and even tossed a fresh player into the lineup.

The new mainline iPod, now called the classic, offers a top-heavy 160GB of storage, unthinkable just a few years ago. “The first iPod put 1,000 songs in your pocket — this new iPod classic can put 40,000 songs in your pocket,” said Steve Jobs.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the Apple unveiling Wednesday is just like the iPhone, the iPod Touch. Users of the iPod touch will enjoy a sensitive widescreen and easy finger-touch navigation of music, photos, movies, television shows, and other media. Another extra touch involves Cover Flow, a highly visual, album-based scroll that makes browsing a more dynamic experience. That feature is also available on other iPods, as well as the iPhone, though nano users must use the scroll wheel to sift through the covers.

Additionally, users will enjoy embedded WiFi connectivity, a first for the iPod. That means realistic internet surfing on a Safari browser, and access to offerings like YouTube, Google, and a myriad of other destinations. “The iPod touch is a landmark iPod, ushering in a whole new generation of features based on its revolutionary multi-touch interface and built-in WiFi wireless networking,” said Steve Jobs during the unveiling. So, upon entering a Starbucks location, owners of the iPhone and iPod touch will gain instant wireless access to the iTunes Store, without a login requirement or connection fee. The gratis access will initially roll in New York and Seattle in early October, and gradually spread across other US-based locations through 2008.

The iPod nano has now been converted to accommodate video playback. The updated player sacrifices the narrower shape of the previous nano to accommodate a broader screen. The result is a more stout device, and a larger, 2-inch display. That introduces playback of movies, television shows, and other video assets, and also creates a more dynamic interface for music, photos, contacts, and other non-video materials. “We’ve taken the most popular music player in the world and added stunning video playback,” said Steve Jobs.

As usual, Apple timed the releases to perk excitement among holiday buyers. In that light, Apple is dropping the price of its 8GB iPhone from $599 to $399 for the holiday period, a move that will make the device more tempting for cost-conscious buyers. The 4GB iPhone is being discontinued.

The 160GB player retails for $349, while an 80GB device is offered for $249. A 4GB version is available for $149, and an 8GB player retails for $199.

The upper-level player comes in a number of colors, including silver, black, blue, green, and a (Product) Red special edition.

Rumor has it there is a new iPod coming out…

…so don’t even think about buying an iPod between now and Sept. 5. Apple has invited the press to a “special event” next week in San Francisco. And as usual, Apple won’t say what it plans to announce. Or much of anything.

The invitation, titled “The beat goes on,” includes an image of a man, in silhouette, dancing with an iPod on the cover of an album displayed in the style of Apple’s “Cover Flow” feature, which allows users to flip through their music on their iPhones or desktop computers.

What else do I know? Apple’s new iPod, or iPods, could include many of the features introduced with Apple’s iPhone, such as a large, touch-sensitive display, which isn’t available on today’s iPods (unless you count the iPhone). And it could sport an aluminum skin, to better match the metal and glass sheathed iPhones and iMacs introduced over the past few months.

Under its shiny new skin, new hardware and software, such as a slimmed down version of Apple’s OS X operating system and a flash memory drive, instead of the current iPod’s mechanical hard drive, could keep the new device thin and light. And if Apple jams a Wi-Fi receiver into the device the new software could allow the iPod to include the ability to browse the Web and send and receive e-mail.

But in truth, Apple could be introducing anything music related. Jobs once summoned the press to Cupertino to cover the surprise launch of a set of iPod speakers. Keep it locked on killedthat.com for the latest updates on the new iPod.

OK, so instead of doing my work for school, let’s discuss a MAJOR trend for Fall: PATENT LEATHER SHOES. Normally I associate patent with fetish suits (or is that vinyl??). I digress. Patent is burning up in stores right now—for girls and guys. This is one trend to transcend the gender barrier, and designer are rolling out patent shoes for both sexes. Look for shoes guys’ shoes from Valentino, Bottega Veneta, and APC for inspiration.

Why you might want to invest in patent shoes: Patent is HOT. But hot is not always good. Patent could be another flash in the pan trend that is super hot for 30 seconds and then fades out. Who wants to drop $$$ on shoes that might not even last the season (aka until spring?) Guys, rest assured: patent may be here to stay for a while. This past spring, French house Lanvin unveiled a patent tassel loafer in a bevy of colors for men, which sold out across the world almost instantaneously. Patent can add a twist to a mundane outfit, or ice the cake on an over the top one, depending on how it’s worn.

Why you might want to stay away: Patent is HARD to wear, especially for guys. It’s been around for girls’, but is relatively new as a men’s style. And patent is not for the faint of heart. Confident dressers will not have a problem pulling patent off, but for those just getting started on upping their fashion game, take it easy. One way to integrate patent without going all out would be to wear something with a little bit of patent—for spring 2007, Lanvin also did a slip-on sneaker with a patent toe. This is a good way to wear a trend without sacrificing classic style. Slip-ons have been around for ages, but adding patent updates them without going to far (ie looking like a fashion victim).

Final verdict: The jury’s still out on this one. Patent shoes are certainly fashionable, but can guys pull them off without looking too effeminate? I think I’ll stick with my Gucci loafers for now.